


Father Figure

by fiona_cat2004



Series: Family Is More Than Blood [9]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Force-Sensitive Finn (Star Wars), Force-Sensitive Original Character(s), Injury Recovery, Jedi Rey (Star Wars), M/M, Mortality, Not Canon Compliant, Parenthood, Rey is always hungry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:01:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24870493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fiona_cat2004/pseuds/fiona_cat2004
Summary: Poe and Finn have retired from active duty with the Resistance and are living on Yavin IV wit their kids, Shara and Ben. Poe faces a bit of a mid life crisis after his father suffers a frightening injury.Features characters from my other series “Finding His Way” who have made minor appearances in other stories in this series.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Finn, The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV)/Original Character(s)
Series: Family Is More Than Blood [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1656739
Comments: 9
Kudos: 25





	1. Chapter 1

“Get back here!,” Poe cried as he tried (and failed) to catch his son, who ran gleefully naked out of the ‘fresher and headed for the front door. “You’re taking a bath, Ben, and that’s that.”

Ben giggled and ducked behind the couch. “Hiding, Papa. You not find me,”

Poe got down on the floor and reached behind the couch but the toddler was just out of reach. “Come on, now,” he said, even though he knew that trying to reason with a two year old was a lost cause. “You need to take a bath, son. Then we’ll put on some clean clothes and go visit Grandpa. Okay?”

Ben plopped down on the floor and slid one chubby little arm under the couch. He pulled out a toy X-wing with dust bunnies caught on its turrets. “Zoom, pew, pew, pew,” Ben said, making the X-wing swoop around above his head. 

Poe sighed. Maybe it was time to bring in the big guns. “Shara!,” he cried. “Your brother is being stubborn.”

Four-year-old Shara Dameron entered the room, her hands on her hips and a disgusted look on her face. Her hair was done in two poufy pigtails today but they did nothing to take away from the seriousness of her demeanor. “Ben Dameron, you get out here right now,” she demanded. “If you don’t take your bath, we’ll be late and Grandpa will be sad. And you won’t get no sugar sand cookies.”

“Any,” Poe automatically corrected, getting an eye roll in return. Shara was very well spoken but like any tiny human, she often made grammatical errors. Unlike most tiny humans, she hated having her errors pointed out with a passion that bordered on the absurd.

Ben slowly eased his way toward Poe, not willing to face his sister’s wrath even though he’d be more than happy to defy his papa. “Gotcha!” Poe said, snagging the naked boy and holding him tight. Ben giggled and Shara nodded firmly.

“Silly boy,” she said, before turning and leaving the room. She probably had a conference of her dolls and stuffed animals going on in her bedroom. Her favorite game right now was Senate, where she lined all her toys up and lectured them on how the galaxy should be run. Some days, Poe thought he should take her to Coruscant and turn her loose on the real Senate; she’d whip them into shape in no time, but then again, she’d probably end up seizing control and plunging the galaxy in another empire, one run by Her Royal Highness Princess Shara Rey Dameron. 

Now that he had Ben corralled, Poe hurried him into the ‘fresher and into the waiting bathtub. “How in the world do you get so dirty?,” he asked as he gently scrubbed his son with the washcloth. The boy’s soft brown skin was noticeably lighter in hue by the time Poe was done with him.

“Making a cave,” Ben explained. “For the Banthas.” He’d gotten a pair of very well-made toy Banthas a few weeks ago, a present from Auntie Rey, and he’d decided they needed a proper enclosure to live in, like the animals at the zoo on Oshis that Finn and Poe had taken the children to for Shara’s last birthday.

When Ben was clean, Poe dressed him in fresh clothes and warned him not to crawl around under any furniture before they left. Now they just had to wait for Finn to get home and they could set off for Grandpa Kes’s house.

Now that they were retired from the Resistance, Finn and Poe lived in a small house about a half hour’s speeder ride from the Dameron ranch. Close enough for weekly visits with the grandkids, but far enough away that Poe didn’t feel like his father was constantly watching over his shoulder. 

“Daddy!” Ben cried as the front door opened. Finn came in, dropping the bag he carried so that he could catch the flying missile that was his son.

“Hey, buddy, calm down,” Finn said. “I was only gone for an hour.” Ben clung to his leg anyway. Finn walked awkwardly across the room to kiss Poe.

“He’s mad at me because I made him take a bath,” Poe explained. “And I had to sic Shara on him to get him out from behind the couch.”

“Ooh, did Papa and Shara gang up on you?” Finn said, bending down to pick Ben up. The boy nodded solemnly.

“We had to,” Poe replied. “He was filthy. Grandpa would’ve taken one look at him and said, ‘Where’d you find that giant walking potato?’” He tickled Ben, just enough to make him laugh. The last time they’d been at the ranch, he’d been fascinated to watch Kes dig up potatoes and carrots in the garden.

Shara appeared in the room. “Yes,” she said firmly. “He was usgusting.”

“Disgusting,” Finn corrected. Shara gave him a look that would have withered most grown men, but since she’d inherited it from her daddy, it didn’t work on him. “Come on, kiddos, let’s get ready to go.”

Shara had her bag over her shoulder, filled to the brim with everything she wanted to show Grandpa this week. She always carefully packed it the day before a trip to see Kes so she wouldn’t forget anything. 

Poe grabbed the bag of snacks and toys and face wipes that had to accompany Ben everywhere. Finn retrieved his bag, which was full of spices and other items that Kes had requested from town. Now that he had his sons handy to run errands for him, he went to town less often, spending more time on his garden and other hobbies around home. 

***********************************

They all piled into the speeder, a spiffy refurbished model that Poe had tinkered with so much that there was probably only ten percent of the original engine left. He had painted it orange and black, like his beloved Black One, and even modified it to allow BB-8 to ride along as navigator. Right now the little droid was off planet with Rey, as it got bored, but after a few narrow escapes, it would be happy to come home again. Finn teased Poe that BB was his oldest child and that he (Finn) was its stepdad. 

Poe let out the throttle once they were on the road that led into the countryside. Their house was in a neighborhood on the outskirts of town, close enough to the center for convenient shopping but far enough out that they had a good sized yard for the kids to play in. The narrower roads and strictly enforced speed limits chafed at Poe, and he always perked up once they were on the open highway.

Ben loved it, urging Papa to go faster, but Shara huddled against Finn, upset that her hair was getting messed up. She hated to have her hair in her face, and the wind always blew it around. “Papa, slow down!,” she demanded, but Poe never listened.

“You know Papa loves to go fast,” Finn told her, almost having to shout over the noise of the wind whipping past them. “It’s his favorite thing.”

Shara gave him a pointed look. “ _I’m_ his favorite thing,” she declared. 

“Well, I’m sure you’re one of his favorite _people_ ,” Finn admitted, “but you’re not a _thing_ are you?”

Shara considered that for a moment, then nodded. “Right, Daddy. I’m a people, not a thing. Ben is a _thing_.” She stuck her tongue out at her brother, who was oblivious as he held his arms up in the air and squealed with delight. Poe was laughing right along with him, and Finn shook his head. 

“Ben is pretty silly, but he’s a people, too,” Finn said. “I mean, _person_.”

“Is BB a thing or a people?” Shara asked, starting to forget about her hair now that she was having a serious conversation with Daddy. Both of them liked to ponder the meaning of things, while Poe and Ben were more likely to just jump in and enjoy things without thinking too much about it.

“That’s a good question,” Finn said. “BB’s a droid, which is a machine, like this speeder, but he also has a personality. What do you think?”

Shara scrunched up her face as she thought about it. “A people, I think,” she said. “A metal people, not a skin people.”

Finn was impressed by her reasoning. “A metal person,” he mused. “I think Papa’s going to like that.” He tucked her closer under his arm, doing his best to shield her from the wind. He watched Poe and Ben in the front seat. The boy was buckled safely into a child’s seat, looking like a miniature version of his papa when he’d flown a fighter. Poe steered with one hand, the other one draped around the back of Ben’s seat. He liked to see Poe relaxed like this, just enjoying himself. For all his pretense of being a happy-go-lucky pilot, Finn knew that Poe fretted about things too much sometimes. It had made him a good General and it made him a good father and husband, but sometimes Finn had to remind him to lighten up.

They arrived at Kes’s place all too soon for Poe and Ben, and not soon enough for Shara. “My hair, Papa!,” she scolded as he slowed the speeder at the gate. “You messed it up. Grandpa will think I’m ugly.”

Poe turned in his seat to face her. “Hey, you’re never ugly, princess,” he said seriously. “Even if your hair is all over the place like mine.” He ran his hand through his wind-tousled hair, making it stand up in a million directions, and made a silly face. 

Shara rolled her eyes. “Silly Papa,” she said, leaning forward to kiss his cheek. “Daddy, make him comb his hair before Grandpa sees.”

Finn fixed Poe’s hair as best he could with his fingers. “That’ll have to do, I guess,” he said, frowning at his work. “We’ll just tell Grandpa that Papa stuck his finger in a power socket or something.” 

Ben laughed. “Zap!,” he said, pointing at Poe. “Papa got zapped!”

Poe just shook his head, and unbuckled Ben from his seat. “Thanks for that,” he said to Finn. “Now he’s going to run around zapping people all day.” Finn just winked. They were at Grandpa’s and the kids would be running around like maniacs anyway. 

Right on cue, Kes appeared in the doorway of the house. “Where are my favorite grandchildren?,” he yelled. Ben squirmed out of Poe’s grasp and launched himself out of the speeder. Shara waited for Finn to lift her out and place her gently on the ground, but she joined her brother in sprinting for Grandpa. Her longer legs let her close the gap and she was the first to reach Kes, leaping into his arms while Ben settled for wrapping himself around Kes’s leg just like he’d done to Finn earlier.

“Grandpa, Papa’s hair is a mess,” Shara said. “And Daddy and me invented metal people, and BB is one, and Ben is a silly boy, he didn’t want to take a bath and I had to help Papa make him.”

Kes kissed her cheek. “All that happened today?,” he said. “You’ve had a busy day. Maybe you should take a nap now.”

“No!,” both children cried. “We’re not tired,” Shara continued. “We have lots of power!”

“Zap!” Ben added.

“Good luck, Dad,” Poe said. “They’re your responsibility for at least two hours. Finn and I are going to check on the Tree.” He slid his arm around Finn’s waist. “Checking on the Tree” was code for “taking a walk and finding a nice spot to make out.” With two children at home and various projects for the Resistance and Republic taking up their spare time, they didn’t get many chances during the week to be alone. 

Kes rolled his eyes. “You just want to foist your responsibilities on me, lazy bones,” he said. “He was like this as a kid, you know. ‘Dad, can I get a tooka? I’ll look after it. I promise.’ And who ended up cleaning up after it and taking it for walks and …”

Poe held up a hand. “That was just the one time, and I was ten years old. I think I’ve matured a bit since then.”

Finn snorted. “Not much,” he said. Poe stuck his tongue out at him. “Oh, very mature, babe.”

“Go, go,” Kes said. “Leave me to enjoy these adorable grandkids while you go do … whatever it is you do when you ‘check on the Tree.’”

He disappeared into the house and Poe tightened his arm around Finn’s waist. “The Tree awaits, my darling Jedi,” he murmured. Finn rolled his eyes. He knew full well they weren’t going anywhere near the Force Tree. And even if they did, Finn wasn’t planning to be doing anything remotely Jedi-like.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe and Finn get some alone time but end up talking about boring dad stuff ... until Finn senses something isn’t right.

They settled down on a little bench that Poe had cobbled together a few months ago from a couple of stumps and some old boards. It was tucked away off the path, screened from sight by a clump of fan-leaved shrubs that bloomed with brilliant pink flowers once a year. Right now, they were simply the vibrant green that marked most of the jungle plants that inhabited this part of Yavin IV. 

“I think this is my favorite part of the week,” Poe said, pulling Finn’s head down onto his shoulder. “I love the kids, I really do, but it’s nice to have a bit of time off from being a dad.”

Finn hummed in agreement. He nuzzled his face into Poe’s neck and slipped an arm behind Poe’s back. The bench was built with a slight incline to the back, so it was easy to snuggle together. “And Dad loves spending time with them,” Finn said after a moment. “I think if he saw them more often, he’d be as tired of them as we are.”

Poe chuckled. “They aren’t _that_ bad,” he said, shifting against the bench so that Finn was more or less lying in his lap. This removed Finn’s arm from behind his back, but it meant that Finn’s fingers were now free to thread between Poe’s and that was a good trade off.

“I had a comm from the education board,” Finn said quietly. “They want us to make an appointment to bring Shara in for testing.”

Poe grunted. He was not entirely sure he wanted to send Shara to school next year. He’d been bored out of his mind during his time in the Yavinian school system, and he didn’t think it had changed much in the intervening years. “So they can just nod and stick her in the first level class anyway because it’s ‘good for social development’ to keep her with kids her own age,” he scoffed. “I think we should keep home schooling her. She already knows how to read and she’s doing basic arithmetic; she’s ahead of most of the kids her age.”

“I know,” Finn said, “but I think it would be good for her to spend time with other kids. Yeah, we have the neighborhood play group but that’s only one day a week, and otherwise she’s only got Ben to play with.”

“She’s got us, and Dad,” Poe replied. It was more than he’d had as a kid, especially after his mother died.

Finn tilted his head back to look Poe in the eye. “You had a regular childhood, babe,” he said. “I didn’t. I want our kids to grow up as normally as possible.”

Poe squeezed Finn’s hand tight and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. “I know,” he said softly. “I just don’t want her to get bored and blow off school like I did.” He shook his head. “The only part I liked was lunch and recess, when I could play with my friends. At least, until I got older ….”

Once out of the primary levels, Poe had floundered a bit. When they were small, he and his friends had all found girls “yucky” and “gross” but as puberty hit, he realized that most of his friends secretly liked the attention the girls gave them. He was puzzled, especially after a secret holo had started circulating that included the image of a naked woman and he was at a complete loss as to why it was so titillating. He’d faked interest, and tried his best to change the subject to something more interesting, like engines or starships. Until he’d stumbled onto a holonovel about two young men who were more than just friends …

He pulled himself out of his reverie. “I just think Shara won’t be intellectually challenged in the local school,” he said. “We’re perfectly capable of teaching her until she gets to the higher levels and then she can do distance learning, or we can hire tutors, or she can even go to an off-world school when she’s older.”

“Or maybe she can go to school with all her friends and we can supplement the curriculum,” Finn said. He sighed. “Listen to us … our only alone time all week and we’re arguing about something that’s not even going to happen for a year at least. I know what we should be doing ….” He turned around in Poe’s arms so that he was facing him, straddling Poe’s lap.

“Now that’s an idea I can support,” Poe said with a grin. He wrapped his arms around Finn, pulling his close for a leisurely kiss. He’d let one hand slide down to cup Finn’s ass when suddenly Finn sat up like he’d been stung by something. “What is it, babe? A vex wasp?” The insects were not all that common but it was the right season for them and they packed a nasty sting.

“No,” Finn said. “I don’t know … something’s wrong. We need to get back to the house.” He grabbed Poe’s hand and tugged him to his feet, then took off back up the trail. Poe knew better than to question Finn’s intuition; he wasn’t as strong in the Force as Rey was but he still had a good connection to all of his family members, so if he sensed something wrong with Kes or the kids, they needed to check it out.

Shara was screaming at the top of her lungs, and they ran as fast as they could once they could hear her. “Daddy! Papa! Help! Grandpa’s hurt!”

Poe felt his blood run cold. “Shit,” he cried, pushing himself to run faster than Finn, even though his husband was younger and had the performance enhancing powers of the Force at his disposal. He had to get to his dad as soon as possible.

They skidded into the yard, Poe nearly losing his balance as he danced over the uneven stepping stones that Kes had been in the process of leveling out last week. Shara saw him and darted forward, tears streaking her face. “Grandpa fell off the ladder,” she cried. 

“Where?” Finn said, dropping to one knee in front of her. Poe stood, head swiveling, looking around for Kes. 

“The play tree,” Shara said, pointing off toward the garden shed. Behind it was a small tree that Kes had promised to build a treehouse in. It was only about thirty feet tall, nothing compared to the Force Tree or some of the jungle giants in the surrounding forest, but tall enough that a fall from it could be dangerous, especially for someone of Kes’s age.

Poe bolted for the tree, where he found Ben sitting on the ground, holding Kes’s hand. Kes himself was splayed on the ground. Poe fell to his knees beside him. “Dad! Dad!,” he said. “Are you okay? What happened?”

Kes groaned. “I was on the ladder, showing the kids where I’d laid the boards for the floor of the treehouse,” he said. “I fell. Not sure if the ladder slipped or I did.” He winced. “I think I broke my hip, or at least bruised the hell out of it.”

Poe closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. _Damn it, broken hips can be dangerous for older people_. Not that he liked to think of his father as elderly, but the fact was that Kes wasn’t as young as he used to be. None of them were. He ran a hand through his hair, which he knew sported more gray than it had just a month ago. “Okay, okay,” he said, pulling Ben closer as the little boy started to cry.

“Grandpa fell,” he sobbed. “It hurts.”

Poe paused for a second. Was Ben telling him that Kes was in pain or that he was? Was he feeling Kes’s pain, or did he mean that he was sad? Because of Finn’s Force sensitivity there was a good chance one or either of the kids might inherit the ability from him. And since Ben had spent nine months _inside_ a Jedi’s body, thanks to Rey’s offer to act as surrogate for them after the disaster on Trelor, Poe’s money was on him to follow in Daddy’s footsteps. Well, there had been two Jedis named Ben that Poe knew of and one was good while the other … he wasn’t going to let his mind go there, especially not right now.

Finn ran up, waving a comm link in his hand. “I’ve got emergency services on the comm,” he said. “Do we need a med team?”

“Med evac, I think,” Poe said grimly. “Dad thinks he might have broken his hip.”

“It certainly feels like it,” Kes said, hissing through his teeth as he tried to shift his position.

“Stop moving,” Poe said, laying a hand on Kes’s shoulder. He had Ben tucked under one arm and now was holding his father down with the other. He looked up at Finn, who was relaying his words to Em Ser. “Where’s Shara?”

Finn dropped to his knees. “Med evac will be here shortly,” he said. “And Shara’s on the back porch. She said it was too scary to see Grandpa.” He reached down to squeeze Kes’s hand. “I told her it was okay and she could stay there as long as she doesn’t leave the porch.” Ben wiggled out from under Poe’s arm and crawled into Finn’s lap.

“Daddy, it hurts. Grandpa hurts.”

Finn raised an eyebrow at Poe, who couldn’t do more than shrug. With Ben safely in Finn’s care, he could turn his full attention to his father. “How you doing, old man?,” he asked, trying for a playful tone and only succeeding in not sobbing outright.

“I’m not old,” Kes grumbled back, but his face was pale with pain and Poe noticed that there were a lot more wrinkles than he’d remembered. “And I feel like hell, thank you very much.”

Poe smiled. If he was grumpy, Kes was alright. They all sat in silence for a few minutes, until the sound of the med evac shuttle grew louder. It landed softly a few hundred meters away, on the edge of the clearing and three med techs hurried over. Poe and Finn were gently pushed away as the techs assessed and prepped Kes for transport.

“We have room for one passenger,” one of the techs said.

“You go,” Finn said. “I’ll stay with the kids, get them settled, and then get to the hospital as soon as I can.”

“You sure?” Poe asked. He wanted to be with his dad but he also didn’t want to assume anything. Finn had a strong bond with Kes, too.

“Of course,” Finn said, stroking a tear off of Poe’s face with his thumb. He hadn’t even realized he was crying. “Go. Look after Dad and I’ll follow when I can.”

“Thanks, buddy,” Poe managed to croak out before he started crying in earnest. He tousled Ben’s hair. “Tell Shara I’ll hold Grandpa’s hand for her.” He scrambled to his feet and followed the floating gurney that was already halfway to the shuttle. “I’ll comm you as soon as I know anything,” he called over his shoulder.

Finn waved with his free arm, the other wrapped tightly around Ben, who had his face buried in his shirt. Poe felt his heart clench at the thought of what the kids must be going through. This was the first medical emergency they’d ever experienced and it had to be terrifying. “It’ll be okay, kiddos,” he whispered as he climbed into the med evac shuttle. “I promise.” He just hoped it wasn’t a promise he’d have to break.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe accompanies Kes to the hospital while Finn wrangles the kids.

They wouldn’t tell him anything. Poe was about to go look for someone in charge and demand answers when a nurse finally came into the waiting room. “Mr. Dameron,” she said, her Caamasi snout stumbling over the name.

“Yes,” Poe said, jumping to his feet. 

“The doctor would like to speak with you,” she said, gesturing for him to follow her through the door. The woodsy scent of her fur relaxed him a bit as they walked down the corridor.

The doctor was human, a tall balding man with pale skin and green eyes. What hair he still had was reddish-brown. “I’m Doctor Crix Hamne,” he said, holding out his hand for Poe to shake. “We’ve finished preliminary scans on your father and as he suspected, he suffered a fractured hip. It’s a hairline fracture but fairly long, so we’re going to place a couple of small pins to hold the bones in place while it heals. We’re prepping him for surgery right now. It’ll be an hour or two before we’re finished and he’s recovered enough to talk to you.”

Poe relaxed a bit. “Thank you,” he said. “So … he’ll be okay?”

Dr. Hamne sighed softly. “I can’t promise anything, because of the inherent risks of any type of surgery, but barring any complications, yes, he should be just fine.” He smiled gently. “He‘ll be on bed rest for several weeks while he heals, and need physiotherapy after that but I don’t foresee any dramatic alteration in his motor abilities.”

Poe must have looked a bit confused, because Hamne went on. “In other words, he should be able to walk just fine, but he might have a bit of a limp.”

Poe sighed with relief. A slight limp Kes could deal with. He’d been afraid his father might be confined to a hover chair, which would have broken his heart. Kes liked to be active, even if he didn’t do anything very strenuous. Not being able to putter around the ranch would end him.

“Go make yourself comfortable in the waiting room,” Dr. Hamne went on. “We’ll call you when he’s out of recovery so you can see him.”

Poe went back into the starkly lit room. The couches were lumpy and it took him awhile to find a spot that was halfway comfortable. He pulled out his comm device and punched in Finn’s ID.

“Hey, how’s Dad?” Finn said as soon as the comm connected. It was a voice-only link but that was okay for now.

“He’ll be okay,” Poe said wearily. “He did break his hip but they said it’s not too bad. He’s in surgery now to put in a couple of pins, and they’ll let me see them when he’s out of recovery. How are the kids?”

He heard Finn sigh. “They’re … taking it a bit hard. Shara keeps crying, because she's convinced it’s all her fault. She says she wasn't watching him because she was busy arguing with Ben and if she’d been watching she could have warned him. And Ben keeps telling me it hurts but he can’t explain what he means.” He paused for a long moment. “I think I’d better stay here with them, babe. I was going to get someone to watch them, but they need me.”

“Yeah, yeah, of course,” Poe said, not sure whether he should tell Finn his suspicions about Ben now or wait until they could speak in person. “Stay there and I’ll comm again when Dad’s awake. Maybe you can bring the kids down here to see him then. It might help them to see him feeling better.”

“That’s a great idea,” Finn said, relief evident in his voice. “I’m sorry I can’t be there with you, but ….”

“I know,” Poe said. “You’ve gotta take care of the kids. I understand. I’ll comm you as soon as I can.” He ended the connection and sat back with a deep sigh, running his hands over his face. It was going to be a long day.

*****************************************  
Finn finally got Shara calmed down by reassuring her that she hadn’t done anything wrong and in fact had helped immensely by taking charge after the accident. She’d made Ben sit with Kes and hold his hand while she ran as far as she was allowed to go in the yard and yelled for him and Poe. “If you hadn’t called us, we wouldn’t have gotten there so fast,” he told her, glossing over the fact that he’d _felt_ her distress rather than heard her voice. “Because of you, we got help for Grandpa much faster. I’m proud of you.” She seemed skeptical but stopped crying, her breath hitching now and then as she recovered.

Ben, on the other hand, would not be comforted. “It hurts, Daddy,” he kept saying. “It hurts.” When he asked _where_ it hurt, the boy just shrugged. “Grandpa hurts,” he said, finally. “Right here.” He pointed at his left hip, the same one that Kes had injured. Finn cuddled him close, trying to soothe him as best he could.

Ben had started to doze off when the comm buzzed. Finn snatched the device off the side table. “Yeah,” he said.

“He’s out of surgery,” Poe said, his voice haggard. “Everything went well and he should be awake in about twenty minutes. They said the kids can see him if they want to.”

“That’s wonderful,” Finn said. “Hey, kiddos, Grandpa’s okay and we can go see him now if we want to.”

Shara leaped into his lap. “Yes!,” she cried. “I want to see him. I’ll bring him some flowers. And a picture. I have to draw him a picture!” She scrambled down and dashed for her bedroom.

“Grandpa’s okay?” Ben asked quietly, sniffling a little.

“Yeah, baby,” Finn said. “Do you want to go see him?” Ben nodded, then tucked his head back into Finn’s side.

“We’ll be there as soon as we can,” he told Poe. “Shara wants to draw a picture and they both need their faces washed.”

He ended the comm link and swept Ben up into his arms. “Do you want to draw Grandpa a picture, too?” Ben shook his head.

“Okay, then let’s get you cleaned up while Shara does her picture,” he said.

It took longer than he wanted to get both kids washed and ready to go. Shara drew a picture, decided it was rubbish, and drew another one. Then she had to dash out to the garden to pick some flowers. Then Finn had to redo her hair so it wouldn’t get messed up by the wind during the speeder ride. Then Ben needed to use the potty (they were in the midst of potty training, so Finn didn’t want to cause a set back) and once they were all buckled in, Shara needed the potty as well. Finally, everyone was clean, bladders were empty, and they were ready to go.

The speeder ride back to town was more somber than the ride out, partly because Finn was a much more cautious pilot than Poe was. Not that Finn was a bad pilot — he’d learned a thing or two from Rey and Poe over the years — but flying was not as instinctive to him and he needed to concentrate on it a bit more. With two kids in the back seat (Ben pouting because he wanted to be up front again), his attention was already diverted from the road.

They arrived at the hospital just as the kids started to whine in earnest. Finn unbuckled them both, slung Ben onto his hip and led Shara by the hand. She clutched her picture and a wilting bouquet of flowers in her other hand. “Slow down, Daddy,” she complained.

“Sorry, baby girl,” he said. He was eager to see Kes and was setting too fast a pace for her little legs. He slowed down and told himself to relax.

Once inside the lobby, he was directed to a wing on the third floor, which meant a ride in the lift. Ben insisted on pushing the button even though the large 3 was low enough that Shara could reach it. Finn bent down so that Ben could reach the button, and shot Shara a look when she stuck her tongue out at her brother. “Hey, behave yourselves,” he warned quietly. “Grandpa won’t want to see you if you’re being a brat.”

“Sorry, Daddy,” Shara said meekly, which immediately raised Finn’s suspicions. Either she was still traumatized by the accident or she had a cunning plan. He hoped it was the former, then admonished himself for wishing pain on his baby girl.

The lift doors slid open and Shara darted out. “Papa!,” she cried, fairly leaping into Poe’s arms. 

“Shh, princess,” he said as he hugged her tight. “It’s a hospital. We can’t shout.”

“Where’s Grandpa?” Shara whispered.

“He’s in a nice quiet room,” Poe said, shifting her onto his hip so he could lean forward and give Finn a quick kiss. He looked like hell, but Finn supposed that was only to be expected. “We’ll go see him in just a minute.”

Poe led them over to a couch in the hallway and sat down, snuggling Shara in his lap. Finn sat down as best he could with Ben still clinging to him like a bur. “Now Grandpa looks a little scary right now,” Poe said carefully. “The doctors have him hooked up to some machines so they can measure things like how fast his heart is beating and how well he’s breathing. It’s just to make sure he feels okay after they fixed him up. They had to put a piece of metal in his hip so it will stay very, very still while the bones heal up. To do that they had to make him sleep really hard, and he’s still kind of sleepy because of the medicine they gave him.” He leaned forward to stroke Ben’s hair back from his face. “If you get scared, that’s okay, but it’s just Grandpa, remember that.”

Ben nodded. “He still hurts?”

Poe nodded back. “Yeah, a little, but not as bad as he did. The doctors gave him medicine for it.” He glanced up at Finn, an odd look in his eye. “Do you feel it, Ben?”

The boy nodded slowly. “Do you think …?” Finn said as an idea started to form in his mind.

Poe’s eyes widened as he nodded again. “Yeah, I think so,” he said softly. Finn hugged Ben a bit tighter. _Are you like me? Like Auntie Rey_? Ben ducked his head against Finn’s chest and they let it go.

“Come on,” Poe said brightly, his voice just a bit brittle. The kids probably didn’t notice it, but Finn did. “Let’s go see Grandpa!”

******************************************************  
Kes lay back in the hospital bed, looking incredibly small and old. His eyes were closed and the blinking lights from the medical monitors, combined with the soothing lighting made him look both pale and flushed at the same time. As the door slid open, though, he opened his eyes and seemed to grow three inches and lose thirty years as he caught sight of his grandchildren. 

“There they are!,” Kes said. His voice already sounded stronger than it had when Poe spoke with him half an hour ago. “Did I scare you, kiddos? I’m sorry if I did.”

Shara squirmed her way out of Poe’s arms and crawled up onto the bed. “I made you a picture, and here’s some flowers,” she said, shoving both into Kes’s face. “And I brought you a kiss.” She leaned forward to kiss his cheek, then immediately started explaining the picture to him.

Finn practically had to pry Ben loose from his shirt. “Hey, kiddo, it’s just Grandpa.” Kes reached out his hand and squeezed Ben’s foot, which was the only thing he could easily reach.

“Look at me, Ben,” Kes said. “I’m fine. The doctors fixed me up.”

Ben slowly looked around and Poe felt his heart clench at the fear in the little boy’s eyes. “You not hurt?,” he whispered.

“Not much,” Kes admitted. “It still hurts a little bit but not like it did. And they gave me medicine to make it stop.”

Ben pondered that for a moment and then seemed to make up his mind. “I hug you,” he said, detaching himself from Finn and wrapping his arms around Kes’s neck.

“Not too hard,” Finn admonished, but Poe shook his head. Let the kid hug his grandpa as hard as he wanted; Poe knew how scary it was to lose (or almost lose) a family member when you were small.

Shara was the one who shoved Ben out of the way, demanding her own opportunity to hug Kes. “I get to hug him, too,” she said. Ben stuck his tongue out at her and that was when Poe knew he’d be all right. _Sibling rivalry for the win_.

Poe stood back, letting Finn and the kids visit. He and Kes had had their own chance to talk and he hadn’t quite recovered from it. He’d broken down and cried when he saw Kes’s eyes open.

“I thought I was going to lose you, Dad,” he’d sobbed. Kes had let him cry, holding tightly onto his hand until the tears had run their course.

“It’ll take a lot more than a tumble off a ladder to take me down, son,” Kes had said. The words were strong but the voice was weak, still raspy from the breathing tubes that had forced dry, medicated air into his lungs. 

“I know,” Poe had said, forcing himself to laugh. They’d talked about less stressful things after that, until a nurse came in to check on the IVs and shooed Poe out so that Kes could rest before the kids showed up.

He could see the tiredness creeping into Kes’s eyes even as he chatted brightly with Finn and the children. “Okay, guys, we should let Grandpa get some more rest,” Poe said reluctantly. “He’s had a big day.”

Both kids protested but Poe held firm and when they realized that Finn was going to back him up, they surrendered. They weren’t above pitting Daddy against Papa to get something they wanted, but they knew that when their fathers presented a united front, there was no chance of winning.

As they left the room, Shara and Ben bouncing down the hall in front of them, Finn slipped his arm around Poe’s waist. “How are _you_ doing, babe?,” he whispered. 

Poe laid his head on Finn’s shoulder. “Shattered,” he admitted. “Do you mind driving home?”

Finn barked out a laugh. “Poe Dameron, best pilot in the galaxy, doesn’t want to drive the speeder?,” he said. “Now I know you’re having a hard time.” He tightened his arm around Poe’s waist and pressed a kiss against his temple. “Yeah, no problem.”

Poe leaned into Finn’s embrace. “Thanks, babe. Hey, leave that alone!,” he shouted as he saw Ben reaching for a tempting vase of flowers on a table.

“Shara had flowers,” Ben pouted. _Oh, yeah, he’s back to normal_ , Poe thought as he detached himself from Finn and hoisted Ben into his arms. 

“No rest for the wicked,” Finn said with a wink. “Shara! Don’t push the button until we get there!” He scurried forward to make sure she didn’t board the lift without them. Poe stifled a laugh. Never a dull moment in the Dameron family, that was for sure.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kes comes home from the hospital, Poe can’t sit still, and Rey comes home.

Finn let Poe sleep late the next day. “Where’s Papa?” Ben asked when they sat down for breakfast.

“He’s still sleeping,” Finn told him. “Eat your breakfast.” He handed him a slice of toast slathered in nut butter.

Shara shoved a berry into her mouth. “Can we see Grandpa again?”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Finn said. “And I have to call the hospital first to ask the doctor.” He wiped a smear of nut butter off of Ben’s face.

“Papa’s sad,” Ben said. It was a statement, not a question, and once again Finn wondered if the boy really was sensing things with the Force. He made a mental note to ask Rey about it when she arrived; he’d sent her a comm yesterday letting her know about Kes, and she’d replied overnight to say she and BB-8 would be on Yavin IV as soon as the _Falcon_ could get them there.

“I’m not sad,” Poe said, staggering bleary eyed into the kitchen. “I’m just tired.” He yawned, rubbed his hand over his face and took the cup of kaf that Finn poured for him. “Thanks, babe.” He sat down at the table and downed half the cup in one go.

Ben shrugged and turned his attention back to his toast. Shara nibbled at her own toast as she pushed the bowl of berries in front of Poe. “You better eat, Papa, or Daddy will be mad,” she said, shooting a look in Finn’s direction.

Poe dutifully popped a berry into his mouth, and Finn fixed him a slice of toast, which Poe took one bite of and then left on the plate. He always lost his appetite when he was upset, relying too much on kaf and even stims to keep him going during the war. No point in trying to force him to eat right now, but Finn would make sure to make one of his favorite dishes for lunch.

“Auntie Rey sent a comm overnight,” Finn said. “She and BB will be here as soon as they can.” He turned to Poe. “Do you want to comm the hospital or should I do it?”

Poe took another large swallow of kaf. “Do you mind?” He still looked worn out.

“Not at all,” Finn said. “You kids finish your breakfast … and make sure Papa eats at least three more bites, okay?” Ben nodded and Shara picked out three of the biggest berries and lined them up on Poe’s plate, while Poe surreptitiously flipped him off. Chuckling to himself, Finn left the kitchen to comm the hospital.

**********************************  
Poe tried to eavesdrop, but it was hard to listen to Finn’s half of the conversation with the nurse. Shara was explaining why the berries she’d chosen were the best ones for him to eat, as they would give him vitamins and the bright colors would make him happy. Ben stole his toast and took three bites out of it, before placing it back on his plate. 

Poe winked at his son, and Ben giggled. “We fool Daddy,” he whispered. 

Shara shook her head. “Papa needs to eat,” she insisted. “Three berries, Papa. I counted them for you. One, two, three.” Poe scooped the fruit into his hand and popped them all in his mouth at once, chewing ostentatiously. Shara giggled. 

“Silly Papa,” Ben said. He grabbed a berry and imitated Poe, gnashing his teeth and smacking his lips. Shara tried to look offended but after about five seconds, she had a mouthful of berries as well and the three of them looked like a herd of nerfs that had stumbled onto a berry patch.

“Gross,” Finn said when he came back into the kitchen. “Who started this?”

Both kids squealed with laughter. “Papa!,” they shouted, while Poe tried to look innocent. It didn’t work; Finn reached out with a napkin to wipe berry juice from Poe’s unshaven chin. 

“You’d all better get cleaned up,” he said. “The nurse said Grandpa can come home today if we promise to look after him.”

“I will look after him,” Shara declared. “I’ll read him a story and we’ll draw pictures, then I’ll make him take his medicine and bring him juice.” 

“Okay, Nurse Shara,” Poe said. “You’re in charge of stories and medicine and snacks. Daddy, Ben and I can take care of the rest.”

Shara nodded. “It’s a plan,” she said firmly. _Oh, stars, she’s like a tiny little Leia_ , Poe mused. _I hope she never turns against us or we’re all doomed_.

*************************************  
“I’m fine,” Kes grumbled. “Just leave me be for a bit and get some rest. You’re making me tired.”

Finn grabbed Poe by the shoulders and turned him around. “Come on, leave Dad alone to get comfortable,” he said, slowly pushing him out of the guest room.

“But …,” Poe started to say. Finn clapped a hand over his mouth.

“No buts,” he said firmly. “He’s fine.”

The doctor and nurses had given them a long list of do’s and don’ts and made Kes promise to follow all the directions to the letter or risk being readmitted to the hospital. He was to remain in bed or use the hover chair for two weeks to allow the bones to start knitting. After that, he was to report to the hospital every day for several hours of physiotherapy.

Finn maneuvered Poe into the living room. “Dad’s not going to get any rest if you keep fussing over him,” he said, sitting Poe down on the couch. “The kids are playing in Shara’s room and Dad’s got a data pad full of books and holovids, so you can just relax.” 

It lasted about five minutes. “I can’t sit still,” Poe complained. “I’m going to run out to Dad’s place, get some of his stuff.”

“Like what?,” Finn asked, folding his arms and staring Poe down. “He has everything he needs right here.”

“Clean clothes,” Poe said. “Underwear. His shaving kit.”

“We can buy all that here in town,” Finn said.

Poe sighed. “The holos of Mom,” he said softly. “That ratty old afghan he keeps on his bed.” The one Shara Bey had made for Poe when he was a baby.

Finn unfolded his arms and wrapped them around Poe, who leaned in and rested his head on Finn’s chest. “Yeah, maybe that is a good idea,” he whispered, rubbing Poe’s back. “He’s stuck here for two weeks, we should probably do what we can to make him feel more at home.” He held Poe out at arm’s length. “Okay, General, you have your mission. Hop to it!”

“Yes, sir, General, sir,” Poe said, throwing him a jaunty salute that turned into a rude gesture. Finn shook his head. As long as Poe was still able to avoid discussing his emotions by making a joke, he was okay. It was when Poe actually wanted to talk that Finn worried.

***************************  
Poe took his time piloting the speeder out to the ranch. He had no plan besides getting out of the house and indulging in some time alone. He felt a bit guilty about leaving Finn with the kids and Kes to deal with, but if he didn’t get some time to himself, he was going to explode. 

As he steered the speeder along the road, Poe let his mind wander. How many more times would he make the journey from the house in town to the ranch? How long would Kes be able to live out there all alone? He sighed. At some point, he knew, Kes would no longer be able to live by himself, and Poe dreaded having that conversation. And when the time came, would he and Finn move out to the ranch or would Kes move in with them in town? 

He parked the speeder outside the gate to the front garden and walked to the front door. The house was empty, in more ways than one. As he wandered aimlessly through the rooms, Poe could not conjure up any memories even though he knew the house was full of them. He grabbed a couple of framed holos of his mother and the afghan off of Kes’s bed, then stood in the hallway, at a loss as to what to do next.

_Check the kitchen_ , he thought after a few minutes. Kes wouldn’t be home for several weeks, and there was no point in wasting food that would be spoiled before he had a chance to use it. 

He had his head buried in the conservator when he heard something outside. Carefully, he crept to the back door, which opened onto the screened porch. There was a small, slightly warped window in the top half of the door, and he peered out, hand creeping for the blaster that wasn’t there. Old habits died hard.

Something was moving through the shrubbery at the side of the yard. It was small, maybe only about knee height, and didn’t look organic. A flash of white and orange showed between the leaves …

“BB!,” he cried, throwing open the door and crossing the porch in a millisecond. As he opened the screen door on the porch, the little astromech droid whirred across the yard to beep excitedly at him.

[Friend-Poe! I missed you.]

“I missed you, too, buddy,” Poe said, jumping down the steps to crouch beside his droid. As always, he ran his hands over BB’s casing, checking for damage. It was a reflex; he knew that Rey kept the little droid in tip-top shape.

He looked up to see the Jedi emerge from the path, a duffel bag slung over her shoulder that threatened to overwhelm her slight frame. Poe knew better, of course; the woman was stronger than anyone he knew, except Chewbacca.

“How are you doing, Poe?,” she said, dropping gracefully to one knee next to him.

“I’m doing fine,” he lied. She narrowed her eyes at him and he sighed. “Okay, I’m a complete wreck.” She smiled and wrapped an arm around his neck, pulling him into a sideways hug.

“It’s okay,” she said, kissing his cheek. “I’m here, and BB’s here, and we’re going to do whatever we can to make things easier for you and Finn and Kes and the kids.”

He leaned into her embrace. Somehow, things always seemed clearer and easier when Rey was around. “Why are you here?,” he asked. “I mean, _here_ , not in town.”

Rey laughed. “I commed Finn to let him know we were arriving soon and he told me you were out here, so I decided to land the Falcon on the back field to save on landing fees.”

Poe shook his head. “And bum a ride into town with me,” he said. “You just can’t shake that scavenger mentality, can you?”

She shrugged. “I’m thrifty,” she said. “And Finn thought it might not be a good idea for you to be out here alone for too long,” she admitted. Poe laid his head on her shoulder. _I don’t deserve him_ , he thought. _Or her, either_.

“Okay,” he said, sitting up and slapping his hand against BB-8’s casing. “Let’s finish cleaning out the kitchen and we can get home. BB, I think you’ll like my latest mods to the speeder.”

Rey used the Force to levitate the droid up the steps to the porch and they all went into the kitchen. Theoretically it should have been faster to have two people going through the food stores, but since Rey couldn’t resist sampling everything, it ended up taking longer than necessary. 

“Well, that’s one way to make sure things don’t spoil before Dad gets home,” Poe said when they were done. “I think you ate half of it.”

Rey gave him a cool look. “It was a long flight. I was hungry.”

“You’re always hungry, you desert rat,” Poe teased. “Come on, let’s go before Finn sends out a search party.”

They loaded the speeder, and Poe let Rey settle BB-8 into its navigator position. [Friend-Poe! Your mods far exceed the needs of a family vehicle. Does Friend-Finn know about this?]

Rey arched an eyebrow at him and Poe laughed — really laughed — for the first time since Kes’s accident. “Yeah, he knows, BB,” he said. “He basically said the same thing but it keeps me busy so he let it slide.” He slid behind the steering wheel. “And he made me promise not to use any of them when the kids are in the vehicle.”

“I don’t see any kids right now,” Rey said with a wicked grin. She was just as reckless a pilot as he was, and he knew she would appreciate his upgrades.

“Then hang on,” Poe said. He slammed the accelerator back and the speeder jumped to top speed as BB-8 let out a high-pitched trill of happy beeps.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn suggests Poe talk to someone about his feelings after Kes’s accident. Featuring an appearance by everyone’s favorite Space Baby ...

Poe was in a funk. He tried to hide it but Finn knew him too well. Even as Poe played with the kids, laughed with Kes and tinkered on the speeder with BB-8, there was something a little too quiet about him, a little too forced about his smile. 

“What’s going on?,” he asked one afternoon, catching Poe in an ideal moment. Kes was reading a book with Shara, and Rey was playing bantha fight in the backyard with Ben, so they had the living room to themselves.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Poe said hurriedly. “Dad’s doing great. The nurse said he can start therapy next week. He’ll be back on his feet in no time.”

Finn wasn’t buying it. “I know all that,” he said quietly. “But you’re not doing great. And don’t try to deny it,” he said, holding up a hand to forestall Poe’s argument. “I know you too well, babe. Plus there’s this little thing called ‘the Force’ that tells me you’re upset.”

“I thought you couldn’t read my mind,” Poe said. He was always a bit skittish when that aspect of Force sensitivity was being discussed.

“I can’t,” Finn reassured him. “But I can feel your emotions. And I don’t like what I feel.” He wrapped his arms around his husband. “You can tell me, babe,” he whispered. “Whatever it is, just tell me and I’ll try to help.”

Poe sighed and slowly relaxed in his embrace. “Okay, it’s kind of stupid but … I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what’s going to happen if … _when_ Dad’s gone.”

Finn closed his eyes and pressed a kiss against Poe’s forehead. He rubbed his back and rocked gently back and forth. “Oh, Poe, don’t think about that. He’s fine. The doctor said other than the fracture he’s in perfect health. Dad’s going to be around for a long time.”

“I know,” Poe said into Finn’s neck. “But I still think about it. I mean … once Dad’s gone, I’ll be the oldest one in the family. The head of the family, so to speak. I’m not ready for that.”

“You weren’t ready to be a general, but you did fine at that,” Finn reminded him.

“Only because you were there to help me,” Poe said.

“Well, who says you have to be the head of the family by yourself? We can do that together, the way we ran the Resistance and the way we take care of the kids.” Finn ran his fingers through Poe’s hair as he shook his head.

“It’s not the same,” Poe insisted. “I’ll be the one who has all the answers, all the stories … I remember when my Grandpa died, Dad talked about all the things he should have asked him about, all the family history and knowledge that died with him.” He started crying quietly, the tears running down Finn’s neck and shoulder. “I’m sorry, I told you it was stupid …”

Finn stopped him. “No, it’s not,” he said. “It’s a legitimate concern. I … I don’t know much about being part of a family, so I’m probably not the right person to talk to. You know who you should talk to?”

“I’m not talking to Dad about this,” Poe said quickly, sitting up and giving Finn a warning look.

“No, not Dad,” Finn agreed. “When I have questions about stuff — family type stuff, relationship stuff —- I talk to Mariana Djarin.”

That gave Poe pause. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Finn said. “They don’t live very far away. When we moved here, I stopped by to say hello and, well, I feel really comfortable asking her stuff.” He shrugged. “When we first met them, back on Gael 23, I asked her about your mom, what she remembered about her. And she was really nice.”

“You think she’d mind if I bothered her?” Poe asked.

“It wouldn’t be bothering her,” Finn insisted. “She told me we’re welcome any time. Both of us.” He squeezed Poe’s hand. “I think she gets a little lonely, now that it’s just her and Din and Ad’ika. When they were in hiding on Gael 23, at least she had her kids and grandkids there all the time. Now they’re off on other planets.” He raised Poe’s hand to his lips and kissed his knuckles. “Go out there tomorrow and talk to her. I promise you’ll feel better.”

******************************  
The Djarins’ house was tucked on a side road on the edge of town, practically in the jungle. It was quiet and cozy and Poe admonished himself for feeling nervous. He’d commed Mariana and she’d sounded more than welcoming. He walked up to the door and pressed his hand against the door sensor. A chime rang out inside and the door almost immediately slid open.

“Hi!” Poe looked down to see Ad’ika, the Djarins’ adopted son, staring up at him. He had hardly grown at all since the first time Poe had seen him, when he was only eight years old.

“Um, hi,” Poe said. “I’m here to see your mom.”

“Yeah,” Ad’ika said. “She told me. I was waiting for you.” Poe knew the child was close to eighty years old by now but he sounded not much older than Shara. “I like answering the door.”

Poe followed the tiny green being further into the house. “Mama’s in the kitchen,” Ad’ika continued. “Daddy’s in the garden. I’m helping him dig a hole.”

Mariana came through a doorway on the far side of the front room. “Go help Daddy,” she told Ad’ika. “I can take it from here.” He scurried out of the room. “They’re planting a tree,” she explained to Poe, gesturing for him to take a seat on the beat up but comfortable looking couch.

“Thanks for seeing me,” Poe said awkwardly. He liked Mariana, he really did, but he hadn’t had a mother figure to confide in since Leia had died and he was nervous. “I’m sorry to bother you.”

Mariana humphed. “It’s not a bother,” she said, plopping down next to him. “I told your husband you and your family are welcome anytime. So, what did you want to talk about?”

Poe didn’t know where to start. “You know my dad had an accident,” he began. She nodded. “And he’s fine, absolutely fine, but I keep thinking about what’s going to happen when he’s … not.”

Mariana nodded. “Facing the specter of your father’s mortality,” she said. “You need to talk to my son Cabur. He went through a similar crisis a couple of years ago when we celebrated his thirtieth birthday.” She smiled sadly. “He realized Din’s not going to live forever and neither is he.”

“How is your husband?,” he asked. “He’s about my dad’s age, I think.”

Mariana patted his arm. “Probably. Din doesn’t remember exactly when he was born; he was too young when the Mandalorians took him in. And he’s fine. The usual aches and pains from all those early injuries coming back to haunt him; all soldiers have those. But otherwise he got a clean bill of health at his last check up. He’ll be around for quite a while, just like your father.”

Poe sighed. “I know, I just … I’m not ready to even _think_ about being the head of the family.”

“Oh, you definitely have to talk to Cabur,” she said. “I’ll comm him and see if he can come for a visit soon. He’s overdue anyway and Ad’ika will love to see him. They were so close when Cabur was little.” She sighed and shook her head. “Ad’ika asked me once why Cabur grew up so fast and he didn’t; he’s old enough to understand now that he’s a different species, and matures more slowly, but at the time, he was so confused.”

They talked about kids for awhile, Poe admitting that sometimes Shara scared him with her intelligence and ability to pick up skills like reading and arithmetic so easily, and how concerned he was that she might get bored in school. And he told her his suspicions that Ben might be Force-sensitive.

“He doesn’t make things float, does he?” Mariana asked. Poe shook his head. She laughed. “Then don’t worry about it too much. Finn and your friend Rey should be able to handle him, if Din and I were able to handle Ad’ika. We had no clue!”

“No clue about what,” Din said as he came into the room, his pant legs and boots covered in dirt. Ad’ika was right behind him, looking like he’d dug the hole by burrowing into the ground head first.

“About being civilized,” Mariana scolded. “You’re both filthy!” 

Din shrugged. “I’ll sweep up later,” he said, settling down into an armchair. Ad’ika climbed up into his lap. “So what did we have no clue about?”

“Dealing with a Force-sensitive child,” Mariana said. “Poe was telling me they think Ben might be gifted.”

Din chuckled. “Good luck,” he said. “This one,” he nodded at Ad’ika, “was such a handful I had to hire someone to help me out. Fortunately, that worked out extremely well for all of us.” He winked at Mariana, who rolled her eyes at him.

“Well, Finn and I have Rey to help us out, if he is,” Poe said. “You know, I should really be going. You probably have things to do …”

Din waved his hand. “No, no, stay for a while,” he said. “We’ve got nothing that can’t wait until tomorrow. We don’t get many visitors these days.” He sounded a bit wistful, and Poe felt bad about not coming to visit them sooner. After all, they’d known his mother, however briefly.

Ad’ika was snuggled comfortably in his father’s lap and Mariana leaned back on her end of the couch, tucking one leg underneath her. Poe relaxed as well, giving himself permission to stop being in charge for at least an hour or two.

They chatted about random things. At some point, Ad’ika brought one of his X-wing models over to Poe and listened raptly while he described what it was like to be in the cockpit of one. Poe looked up to see Din smiling indulgently at them, and he suddenly missed his mother intensely. He wished he’d had more time to be with her like this, just relaxing and talking about ships and flying. 

Mariana must have seen something in his face, because she leaned forward and squeezed his hand. “Why don’t you put your toys away and clean up for dinner, Ad’ika?,” she said quietly. “Mr. Dameron needs to get home soon anyway.”

Poe glanced at his chrono and was surprised to see he’d been there for almost three hours. He understood why Finn liked to spend time with Mariana. Their home was so welcoming.

“Bring the kids next time,” Din said. “I’m sure your dad could use a break from them right about now.” He chuckled. “I love my grandkids to death, but the best part about being a grandfather is being able to give them back to their parents when they get tired or cranky.”

Poe nodded. “Yeah, Dad’s patience is starting to wear a bit thin,” he admitted. “He gets to start physiotherapy next week, though, so that’ll help. Maybe Finn or I can bring the kids over in a day or two to play with Ad’ika. Or both of us if Rey doesn’t mind staying with Dad.”

“Perfect,” said Mariana. “I haven’t seen Finn in a while, with everything going on with your father. We can have dinner like grown ups while the kids destroy the house.”

Poe laughed. Yeah, he really needed to visit more often.

She walked him to the door. “And I’ll get in touch with Cabur,” she said quietly as they stood for a moment on the front step, watching the evening breeze play with the flowers in the front garden bed. “You’ll feel better after you talk to him, I promise.” She pressed a motherly kiss to his cheek and then went back inside. “If all the dirt isn’t off the floor and that chair by the time bedtime rolls around, you’re sleeping on the couch, Din Djarin,” she said loudly enough for Poe to hear.

“Ha, ha, Daddy’s in trouble!” Ad’ika cried, his laughter fading away as Poe walked away from the house, already feeling a lot better.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn and Poe join the Djarins for a cookout. The kids make new friends and Poe has a good talk with Cabur.

Shara and Ben squealed with delight when they realized that there were new kids to play with at the Djarin house, even though they were all older. “Calm down, kiddos,” Finn told them. 

Ad’ika ran toward them as fast as his little legs could carry him. “It’s my friends! Shara and Ben!,” he called over his shoulder at his nephews and niece. 

The oldest boy introduced everyone. “Hi, Shara. Hi, Ben. I’m Mica, this is Bryn and our sister Danna.” 

“Our dumb sister,” said Bryn. Danna stuck her tongue out at him.

“Girls aren’t dumb,” Shara said stoutly. “Boys are dumb.” Danna smiled and tucked her arm through Shara’s. 

“How old are you?” Danna asked. “I’m seven. Dumb Bryn is eleven and Mica’s fourteen.”

“I’m almost five,” Shara said proudly. “Ben is only two.” 

Ben held up two fingers. “But I not dumb,” he said, going to stand by the other boys.

Ad’ika giggled. “I’m eighty, I win!” Then he tugged at Ben’s hand. “Come see my new ship. Cabur gave it to me.” Bryn followed them, but Mica stayed behind for a moment.

“Don’t worry, sir,” he told Finn. “I’ll make sure no one gets hurt.” 

“Maybe,” Danna said ominously. Mica made a face at her and she laughed, tugging Shara off toward the other boys. “I have a better toy than that dumb ship — a Wookiee! He had a bow caster and you can brush out his hair and he beats up all the bad guys!”

“Girls,” Mica said, shaking his head. 

“Go make sure they don’t kill their brothers,” Finn said. “And have fun while you’re at it!” He gave Mica a friendly shove. 

Mariana approached with a frosty glass of ale in her hand. “Here you go,” she said. “Mica will keep the little ones in line, and there won’t be _too_ much blood.” She chuckled at Finn’s raised eyebrow. “I learned to expect a certain amount of blood when raising Mandalorian children. Din may be _dar’manda_ but he still expects the members of his clan to be able to defend themselves.”

“How’s Poe been?,” she asked after Finn had had a chance to take a drink.

“Oh, that’s good,” he said, smacking his lips. Poe favored harder liquor but he’d always been partial to a nice ale. “Poe? He’s doing better, but I still catch him staring off into the distance and sighing now and then.”

“Cabur will straighten him out,” Mariana said with a nod. “My son knows a thing or two about feeling inadequate.” She sighed. “He’s had a lot to live up to, and stars know his father and I put too much pressure on him sometimes. We tried not to, but it couldn’t have been easy growing up knowing that no matter what he chose to do in life, he was expected first and foremost to take care of his brother. I’m afraid he spent quite a bit of his adolescence resenting Ad’ika and he feels guilty about it now.”

************************************  
Poe was nervous. Cabur was younger than he was, but felt somehow older. Maybe it was because his kids were older, or maybe it was the sober gravity in his brown eyes. He looked quite a bit like his father, but without the spark of mischief that lurked in Din’s eyes.

“Your kids are adorable,” Cabur said, taking a sip of Corellian whiskey. He and Poe were seated on a bench at the edge of the Djarins’ backyard, far enough away from the others for a private conversation, but with a good view of the children running and tumbling around in the grass. Din was stoking the fire in the outside grill, preparing for the meal that he and Mariana had insisted on sharing with the Damerons.

“Yours, too,” Poe said. The whiskey went down smooth, but it still wasn’t enough to soothe his nerves. “Your wife didn’t come?”

Cabur shrugged. “She had some things at work she couldn’t get out of,” he said vaguely. He took another drink and then turned to Poe. “Okay, that’s what I told Mom and Dad,” he admitted. “She and I … things aren’t going great between us right now.”

“Maybe you need to talk more than I do,” Poe ventured.

Cabur shook his head. “No, we’re good. I mean, we’ll work it out. Eventually.” He shrugged again. “Don’t tell my parents, though. I don’t want them to worry.” He stretched, cracking his neck. “Sometimes I think my sister had the right idea, not rushing into anything.”

“What do you mean?”

“I met Talia, she was okay with the whole Ad’ika thing, and I married her. Maybe we were too young,” he said. “Hell, I know we were too young. But I wanted to be a family man like my dad, a good husband and father. A clan leader. Mirdala, on the other hand, went out, enjoyed herself and she still hasn’t told us who Ronal’s father is.” He chuckled. “No one tells my sister what to do, that’s for damn sure.” He finished off his whiskey and picked up the bottle, ready to pour another, but then apparently thought better of it.

“So, Mom said you’re having a bit of a crisis,” he said.

Poe felt ridiculous. “It’s nothing really,” he said. “My dad got hurt a while back — fell off a ladder and broke his hip — and I’ve just been torturing myself thinking about what things will be like when he’s gone.”

Cabur nodded. “I’ve been there. When I turned thirty, I suddenly realized that I wasn’t a kid anymore. And that my dad wasn’t a young man anymore. I looked at him and I just … couldn’t unsee the gray hairs and the lines on his face. Nothing as momentous as your father’s accident, just me facing the fact that people grow old and die. And that my father was going to get there before me, and that my brother …” He paused to compose himself and Poe laid a hand on his shoulder. “My brother was going to outlast us all by centuries.” He turned to Poe, his eyes glittering with tears. “I love Ad’ika, don’t get me wrong, but I feel like I’m saddling Mica with the same burden I’ve grown up under.”

“Is he really a burden?” Poe asked quietly.

“No, not at all,” Cabur said, looking across the yard at Ad’ika, who was tumbling around on the grass with Ben while Bryn looked on, laughing. “He’s … it’s just … I think every kid resents being told what to do, especially when they get to a certain age.” He laughed. “Enough about me. I’m supposed to be helping you.”

“I think you are,” Poe said. “Look, I know this is something I’m just going to have to come to terms with. I just … I lost my mom when I was eight and my grandpa not long after that. Dad’s all I had for so long. I have Finn and the kids now, and Rey and the rest of our friends, but …”

“I get it,” Cabur said. “You’re the one to carry on the family legacy. It’s a big responsibility. But I’m sure your dad felt the same way at one point, and his dad before him, on and on back to the very first human male who was sentient enough to realize what was going on. We idolize our fathers, Poe, and we’re never going to live up to what we think they want of us. Or what we want of ourselves.”

Now he did pour another glass of whiskey, and topped off Poe’s glass as well. He clinked their glasses together. “To being a disappointment,” Cabur said. 

Poe laughed. “Now that I’m good at.” He tossed back his drink and then clapped his hand on Cabur’s knee. “Thanks for the talk. I do feel better. And the next time I feel like a failure, I’ll give you a call.” He stood up. “I’m going to see if your dad needs any help with that grill.”

Cabur stood as well. “Oh, he doesn’t. Even if he does. But I’ll bet Mica would appreciate being relieved of babysitting duty.” He smiled wryly.

“A father’s work is never done,” Poe said. “I’ll help you wrangle them. Mine can get pretty wild.”

“So they take after you, not your husband, then?” Cabur asked innocently.

“Shut up,” Poe said. _I think I might have a new best friend_ , he thought as they crossed the yard.

************************************  
“Auntie Rey, we played with Ad’ika and the other kids, and we ate sooo much, and I want a Wookiee toy like Danna, it looks like Uncle Chewie …” Shara paused for a breath, allowing Finn to break in.

“I’m sure Auntie Rey will be happy to hear about your day later, after you get ready for bed,” he said quietly. 

Shara huffed. “Okay, Daddy, but don’t tell her about it until I can.”

“How’s Dad?” Finn asked Rey.

“Fine,” she said. “How’s Poe?”

“Good,” he replied. “He seems a lot more —- I don’t know how to put it — _settled_ , I guess.”

Rey tucked her arm through Finn’s. “I’m glad,” she said. “Next time you go out to the Djarins’, let’s leave him here with the kids and your dad. I need a break.”

“Yeah, right,” Finn said, bumping her with his shoulder. “I know you and Kes just sat around telling Poe stories and eating all the snacks.”

Rey gave him her most innocent look. “We also told Finn stories,” she said primly. “And there are three cookies left, I’ll have you know.”

“I stand corrected,” Finn said.

*********************************************  
“Have a good time?” Kes asked.

“Yeah, we did,” Poe said. “How about you and Rey? Did it get too boring around here without the kids?”

“No, she had plenty of good stories about you and Finn to keep me entertained with,” Kes said with a gleam in his eye. “Did you have a good talk with the Djarins’ son?”

“Who told you about that?” Poe said, suddenly nervous.

“Finn,” Kes said simply. “And don’t get all worked up. I know this whole thing has been tough on you, son.”

Poe shrugged. “Not as tough as it’s been for you,” he said.

Kes shook his head. “I’ve been through worse,” he said. “And you and Finn and Rey have been spoiling me. As soon as I’m back on my feet and back home, I’m cooking you all the biggest, fanciest meal you’ve ever had.” He reached out and took Poe’s hand. “Everything’s going to be alright, son.”

“I know, Dad, I know,” Poe said, squeezing Kes’ hand. “I’d better go help get the kids ready for bed. They’re pretty riled up.”

“Let Finn and Rey handle it,” Kes said. “Sit. Talk to me. And I mean _really_ talk to me, Poe.”

Poe closed his eyes for a moment, then sat on the edge of his father’s bed. And they talked until Finn finally came in to tell them the kids wanted Papa to kiss them goodnight.

“You good?” Finn asked as he walked Poe out of the room.

“Yeah, we’re good,” Poe said, laying his head on Finn’s shoulder. “Everything’s good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! There aren’t a lot of great father figures in Star Wars canon, so here’s to Kes and Finn and Poe (and Din!) for showing the others how it should be done!


End file.
